Bicellonycha wickershamorum (Southwest Spring Firefly)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Coleoptera

Family: Lampyridae

Genus: Bicellonycha

Species: wickershamorum

Southwest Spring Firefly - Bicellonycha wickershamorum

1379029

Species Extent (New Mexico)

Global Rank: G2

State Rank: S1

Rank Metadata
State Rank: S1	Rank Changed: 04/30/2025
Rank Reviewed: N/A
Reason: <em>Bicellonycha wickershamorum </em>is a nocturnal firefly associated with permanent streams in the Gila region of southwest New Mexico. In New Mexico this species is currently only known from one location, where it is threatened by widespread drought; previous droughts in the southwest U.S. have covered much greater areas than the range of this species (Reed <em>et al.</em> 2019). Researchers project that the quality of habitat will continue to decline within its known range, due to climate change associated drought, which can dry up the permanent rivers and nearby ephemeral habitats upon which this species depends. More localized threats such as trampling by cattle and human modification of waterways are also potential drivers of decline, and in fact have already led to the destruction of at least one site in Arizona. Uncertainty in the data available for this species is high: the EOO will probably increase as new sites are discovered. However, until more surveys are conducted, this species is assessed as S1 in New Mexico due to only being known from one occurrence within the context of wide scale drought, and the continuing projected decline in quality of habitat.

Ecological Factors
Specificity: Narrow. Specialist or community with key requirements common.	Range Extent: <100 square km (less than about 40 square miles)
Occurences: 1 - 5	Population Size: Unknown
Area of Occupancy: In New Mexico this species is only known from one occurrence at Turkey Creek Hot Springs in the Gila Wilderness in Grant County New Mexico.	Threat Summary: N/A

State Status:

Federal Status:

USFS Status:

BLM Status:

SWAP Status:

NMRP Strategy Status:

Number of Subpopulations: 0

Number of Mapped Locations: 0

Number of Observations: 0

Show